K'taka tobacco farmers earn Rs 48/kg

Karnataka farmers, numbering 39,594, who were registered with the Tobacco Board, harvested 8,29,14,103 kg flue-cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco worth Rs 398,48,51,790 for 2005-06 crop year, realising an average price of Rs 48.06 per kg.

Last crop year's (2004-05) tobacco average price was Rs 47.42 per kg. Though the crop size is 6.39 million kg more than the authorised crop of 76.52 million kg this year, it fell short of 2004-05 harvest of 90.34 million kg. Market experts put the cost of production and other expenses at Rs 32-35 per kg, which puts farmers on the profit side.

Farmers produced 90.34 million kg crop worth Rs 428.39 crore in 2004-05 (Rs 47.42 per kg); 73.69 million kg crop worth Rs 298.07 crore in 2003-04 (Rs 40.45 per kg); and 63.26 million kg crop worth Rs 275.90 crore (Rs 43.6 per kg) in 2002-03. While there has been an upward trend in prices obtained, the average income of farmers has fallen sharply over the last few years as the number of farmers went up without significant increase in crop yields.

In 2002-03 crop year, 19,351 farmers earned Rs 275.90 crore with an average income of Rs 1,42,576; in 2003-2004 crop year, 19,702 farmers harvested crop worth Rs 298.07 crore with an average income of Rs 1,51,292.

In 2004-05, the number of farmers doubled to 39,702, who produced crop worth Rs 428.39 crore, and their average income fell to Rs 1,07,901. In the just concluded crop year (2005-06), average income of 39,594 farmers further fell to Rs 1,00,642.

Farmers of Periyapatna-1 platform reaped 99,73,843 kg (valued at Rs. 49,45,03,135), and earned the highest average price of Rs 49.58 per kg, followed by farmers coming under H D Kote floor, who harvested 77,20,839 kg crop (worth Rs. 37,74,71,818), and earned the second highest price of Rs 48.89 per kg.

Farmers coming under Periyapatna-2 auction floor, who had produced 94,42,864 kg crop (Rs. 46,10,95,049) and received Rs. 48.83 per kg, occupied third place in respect of average price.

Farmers under Kamalapura platform harvested maximum crop of 1,61,07,939 kg (Rs 76,51,27,102) and sold away their crop at Rs 47.50 per kg.

Farmers of Ramanathapura, who stood second in harvest volume with 1,18,59,630 kg (Rs 55,70,46,821), received a price of Rs 46.97 per kg. Farmers under Hunsur-1 floor produced 97,59,886 kg crop (Rs 46,88,64,923) and earned Rs 48.04 per kg and their counterparts under Hunsur-2 reaped 90,90,457 kg crop (Rs 42,87,96,856) which fetched them Rs 47.17 per kg.

Farmers coming under Periyapatna-3 floor produced 86,99,967 kg (Rs 42,22,96,398) and received a price of Rs 48.54 per kg.

Farmers of Shimago floor produced the least volume of 2,58,678 kg crop (Rs 98,27,177) and earned the minimum price of Rs 37.99 per kg. Of the total 66,041 curing barns in Karnataka, 55,156 are registered and 10,885 are the unregistered ones. Traders lifted the entire Karnataka crop in 123 auction days.